Brighton is about two miles from our shop at 310 Harvard Street in Brookline, so our emergency plumber for Brighton, MA starts from just across the line. Dispatch answers around the clock, every day, and we offer same-day appointments when available.
While you wait, close the nearest fixture shut-off or the main valve, keep people clear of any wet ceiling light or outlet, and stop running drains if sewage is coming up. Then call (617) 752-0573 and tell dispatch which floor the water is on.
The problems Brighton buildings call about
Most of our Brighton work starts in a building with more than one household under the same roof. The symptom shows up in one unit, but the cause is often in another, or in a shared pipe behind a wall.
- A wet or stained ceiling. Water comes through the plaster below a bathroom or kitchen, and nobody upstairs sees a leak.
- A floor drain that backs up. Water rises in the basement drain when a laundry machine runs or the toilets above are flushed.
- No hot water. A tank leaks onto the basement slab, or the pilot and burner will not stay lit.
- Cold radiators in heating season. Steam or hot-water heat dies on a cold night and several apartments lose it together.
- A water bill that jumped. The meter keeps turning when every tap is off, which usually means a running toilet or a hidden leak.
Water coming through a ceiling?
Dispatch is open 24/7. Call (617) 752-0573 and tell us which floor is wet.
Finding the source of a ceiling leak in a multi-unit building
A stain on a first-floor ceiling can come from a tub drain, a supply line, a radiator valve or a roof. Guessing wastes a day and opens the wrong wall. We trace it in order, starting with the fixtures directly above the stain.
Our crews use a moisture meter and thermal camera to map the wet area. For a hidden supply leak, a pressure test or leak detection with acoustic listening gear narrows it to a few feet before we cut any plaster.
| What you see | Likely source | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Stain that grows only after showers | Tub drain or shower pan above | Run the shower in the unit above while someone watches below |
| Stain that grows with no one home | Pressurized supply line or radiator valve | Shut the unit's fixture valves and see if the meter slows |
| Drip at a light fixture | Water traveling along a joist | Turn the circuit off and keep people clear |
| Stain after rain only | Roof or flashing, not plumbing | We say so and send you to a roofer |
We tell you honestly when a stain is not a plumbing problem.
If the leak is a burst or split pipe, see our page on burst pipe repair for what to shut off first.
When the basement drain backs up, who owns the pipe?
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) maintains the sewer main in the street. The property owner is responsible for the entire lateral, the pipe that runs from the building to that main. That split decides who pays when the line fails.
If several drains back up together, the blockage is usually in the building's main drain or the lateral. We clear it with a cable machine or hydro jetting, then camera the line to see whether roots, grease or a broken joint caused it. A camera pass is how we tell a simple clog from a pipe that needs sewer line repair.
BWSC runs a 24-hour emergency line at 617-989-7000 for main breaks and street-side sewer problems. BWSC also offers a grant program for failed laterals, so ask them for current terms before you commit to a repair.
No hot water or no heat: what to check before you call
A leaking tank cannot be patched. If water pools under a gas or electric heater, shut the cold supply and power it down, then call. Our water heater repair visits cover thermostats, elements, burners and relief valves, and we replace the tank when the leak is at the shell.
State heating rules require 68 degrees in habitable rooms from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 64 degrees overnight, from September 15 through June 15. For steam or hot-water systems, our boiler repair technicians check the low-water cutoff, circulator and zone valves. If you smell gas, leave the building and call 911 or National Grid at 1-800-233-5325 before calling us.
Why Brighton's mix of condos, rentals and two-families matters for plumbing
Boston's planning profile for Allston and Brighton, using 2010 figures, counted about 7,800 condos and roughly 2,500 two-family buildings. About one in five units was owner-occupied. Most of the rest were rentals.
That mix means shared risers, shared drains and a landlord or condo association behind many repairs. We write up what we find in plain terms so an owner, a manager or a tenant can each see what needs to happen. If a shared stack is failing, repiping is an honest option we will quote.
How water reaches Brighton and who to call about the street
Brighton's water comes through BWSC from MWRA's reservoirs, and MWRA reports it as soft, at about 1 grain per gallon. Soft water means scale is rarely the cause of a failing fixture here. Pipe age, pressure and wear usually are.
BWSC replaces private lead service lines free for eligible owners and runs a lead hotline at (617) 989-7888. If your building's water line is old or leaking at the meter, call BWSC first for the street side, and call us for water service line repair on the owner's side.
What to do in a Brighton building while you wait
These steps protect the unit below you and make our first hour faster.
Find your valve
Look for the main shut-off in the basement or at the meter, and for the fixture stops under sinks and toilets. In a multi-unit building, ask the owner or manager which valve feeds your unit.
Protect the floor below
Place buckets under ceiling drips, move furniture off wet carpet and pull electronics away from the stain.
Keep the drains quiet
If the basement drain is backing up, stop laundry and flushing in every unit until we clear the line.
Tell us the floor
Tell dispatch which floor is wet, which units are affected and whether the heater or boiler is running.
What moves the price of a Brighton plumbing repair
We give you a clear price before work starts. These are the factors that change it.
- AccessA pipe behind a bathroom wall in a third-floor unit takes longer to reach than a drain in an open basement.
- Building layoutA shared riser or stack that serves several units can mean coordination with the owner or association.
- Pipe materialOlder steel or cast iron may need more cutting and fittings than copper or PVC.
- Time of the callLate-night and weekend dispatch involves different staffing than a daytime visit.
- Permit needsA repair that changes the plumbing needs a permit and inspection, which adds a step.
Some homeowner and condo policies cover sudden water damage but not the failed pipe itself. Ask your insurer or association before the repair, and we will provide the written details they ask for.
Want your real number? Call (617) 752-0573.
Brighton plumbing questions
Brighton has one ZIP code, 02135, and we cover all of it. That includes Brighton Center along Washington Street, Oak Square, the Aberdeen area, Cleveland Circle at the southern tip and the Boston Landing area.
Next door, Allston is ZIP 02134, and our Allston emergency plumber page covers it.
Yes. Dispatch is open 24/7, and we send a licensed technician from our Brookline shop. Call (617) 752-0573 and tell us what is leaking or backing up.
BWSC clears blockages in the main in the street. You are responsible for the lateral from your building to that main and for the drains inside. If you are not sure where the blockage is, call us and we will camera the line to find it.
Place a bucket, move belongings and keep clear of lights and outlets. Ask the upstairs household to shut off water at their fixtures, then call us. We trace the source with moisture and thermal tools before opening any plaster.
Yes, often. Turn off every tap and appliance and look at the meter. If it still moves, water is going somewhere. A running toilet is the most common cause, followed by a hidden supply leak.
Boston's Inspectional Services Department issues plumbing permits to licensed plumbers. Your plumber pulls the permit where one is required. Clearing a drain or repairing a faucet generally does not need one.
Yes. We also serve Newton just west of Brighton, along with Allston and our home town of Brookline.
Brighton plumbing trouble tonight?
Call (617) 752-0573 and we will send a licensed technician from Brookline, same-day when available.